Where to eat in Ipoh, Malaysia
Although Ipoh is off the beaten track for the majority of foreign tourists, this is a favourite destination for Malaysians who take their food seriously. Here are our top 2 tips of where to eat fabulous food in Ipoh.
Thean Chun
Open only for breakfast and lunch, this is my strongest tip for eating fabulously in Ipoh. Make sure that you are starving, because you should try to eat every dish that Thean Chun makes. It is really that good.
At Thean Chun, you can eat:
The original Ipoh Ho Fun. Yes folks, this is where the original Ipoh ho fun is from. My Singaporean friend and I used to think that Ipoh Gardens in Mt Pleasant/Applecross was pretty good in its hey day and wondered why Ipoh people complained it wasn’t any good. Now I know why – it’s simply not as good as the real thing. With silky noodles, shredded chicken, and prawns in a delicious sweet soup that I just can’t have enough of – this is probably the best ho fun in the world. It beats Penang’s ho fun any day of the week.
Satay here is unique as they serve offal satay as well the normal chicken and pork varieties. It is also sold in a unique manner – the Satay Man will plop satay on your table if you request it, but you don’t pay for it upfront. When it looks like you’ve stopped eating, the Satay Man will come around and charge you according to how many satay sticks you have eaten. I don’t want to know what happens with the leftovers, but hey – I haven’t died from it yet. It’s all good!
They also make a creme caramel that is famous for its silky smoothness which melts in your mouth and their popiah.
Thean Chun
Jalan Bandar Timah
Ipoh Old Town
Foh San Restaurant
Many people believe that Ipoh has terrible dim sum. They obviously haven’t been looking hard enough, as their dim sum is actually pretty good. One of the most famous and original dim sum shops in Ipoh is Foh San Restaurant. Foh San will charm you with a sense of nostalgia with its high ceiling, antique fans, big mirrors, waitresses pushing food carts around the narrow pathways.
Food-wise, it is known for its wide varieties of delicious dim sum. Feel free to pick old favourites such as har gao or new dishes you may not have eaten before. Foh San is also famous for its mooncakes.
Please note that this restaurant is regularly packed in the mornings, so you should get there at about 7am unless you like to queue up.
Foh San Restaurant
2 Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
WWW: http://www.fohsan.com.my
Photos courtesy of Esther.
There are seriously more good food in Ipoh than what you’ve mentioned :p
Wow! I think this might be the same place my grandma takes us when we visit her in Ipoh! I love the “free flow” of satay style! Though you hope that the people before you didn’t lick the sticks than put them back on the plate! Yew!
Just to let you know I’ve tagged you on my blog! Pls pass it on!
$ensei – I know. You can write all about it for me :p
Christine – Mmm… I knew I forgot to put a photo in of Thean Chun. Maybe you’ll recognise the shop photo? I’ll put it in the blog in a second. Unfortunately we don’t really have any photos of Foh San…
Don’t you get a sense of “dejavu” after eating at alot of Malaysian coffeshops though? Almost all have marble tables, same rickety kopitiam chairs and shouting of orders!
I’ll have to ask my dad if Thean Chun is the stall he takes us to, all I know it’s always soooo crowded & busy. (and a huge vat of tao gay soaking in the front of the shop!)
I know, but I like that! But some places look more antique/old world than others… Foh San included.
Actually I would say that when comparing West Malaysian kopi tiams to Kuching kopi tiams, you can tell the difference – Kuching is much cleaner!
How come you get to travel so much Angie? I’m jealous of your food forays around the world.
I’m graced by the ability to sometimes win things that don’t cost any money to enter.
Plus it’s always nice to give an international flavour to the *wandering* gourmet. 
try eating the food from minority tribes from zhangjiazie and zhangsa of china.